The return of the Sunday interview is about to start next week with three guests already lined up for January. I hope that you will accept my invitation to participate in the this year’s interviews.

As writers we tend to share aspects of our work in interviews, such as our blog posts, books and characters, and that is very important. However, sometimes we don’t get to share some of the other aspects of our personalities.

In last year’s Getting to Know You interviews we found out some different and very interesting facts about authors and bloggers that we bump into every day here and on social media. It was a lot of fun..

**If you would like to participate again.. no problem… just answer five different questions from your first interview.

There are over 50 questions to choose from about life, love, humour, travel, ambitions and embarrassing moments!

You can select any five questions and the only proviso is that the answer is 100 words or longer. Feel free to express yourself as this is an opportunity to showcase your talent.

It is an opportunity to show us your writing skills, sense of humour, best life moments and the worst, and things you might wish for. Since this is also an opportunity to promote your creative work, I will of course top and tail with an intro, your bio, examples of your blog, books, artwork, photography and your social media links. For most of you that have featured here before, I have those details on file or can find them. If you are new to the blog, I may have to come back to you for more information.

All you have to do is pick Five questions, answer them with a minimum of 100 words ( use as many as you need) remembering that this is your showcase especially as a writer – you want people to head over and follow your blog and buy your books.

Send the five questions and your answers to me in a word document or in an email to sally.cronin@moyhill.com.

Please feel free to add an illustration (two or three is fine) Please do not embed in the document but attach to the email.

If you are new to the blog, then please send your main website or blog link and I will check that out for the information that I need.

It is a first come, first serve basis so you need to get your entry in as quickly as possible (after due thought and consideration of course!).

The post will be promoted across my social media and will be my pinned tweet for the following week.

A couple of things that I would ask from you to help promote the post as far and wide as possible.

To reblog or share across your own social media.

To respond to each comment individually (it does encourage people to visit your blog and buy your books or other work for sale.

To pop in from time to time over the following week to check on later comments.

Here are the questions for you to choose 5 from the 52. To give you an idea of how the post will look, I will follow the questions with one of the recent interviews from 2018.

Describe one most embarrassing moment of your life.

Which is the most valuable thing you have lost and did you ever find it?

Tell us about your craziest experience.

Do you have a phobia and do you remember how it started?

If you were to become invisible for a day what is the one thing you would do?

If you were granted three wishes what would they be?

What was the funniest moment of your life?

Describe your worst online experience?

Tell us about your partner’s likes and dislikes.

How would you describe your fashion sense?

What are the five things that you would always find in your handbag or briefcase?

What is the one ambition that you still have not achieved?

What is the one item that you paid a lot of money for but have never used or regretted buying?

Describe the strangest dream you’ve ever had.

Which famous person would you like to be marooned with on a desert island with?

Have you got a secret talent nobody knows about?

What do you consider to be the best dish that you prepare – and have you the recipe?

If you could get rid of one household chore, what would it be?

What is your favourite childhood song and why (do you have a Youtube link for it)?

What is your favourite holiday and why?

If you could be any action hero, who would it be?

What is your favourite TV show and why?

What is your least favourite thing about family parties?

What is something you look forward to when you retire?

What was the one thing you could never learn how to do no matter how hard you tried?

Do you prefer the big city or country life?

Where is your favourite holiday destination and why?

What was the worse holiday you ever had and why?

What are your favourite or weird pizza toppings?

If you could choose a different career, what would it be and why?

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

If animals could talk, which one would you have a conversation with?

Knowing now, what you didn’t know then, what would you have done differently?

Are you a morning person or a night person?

What is your favourite ice cream flavour or combined flavours?

If you were given a million dollars what would you do with it?

What is your favourite sport and have you won medals or an award for it?

Have you ever played a musical instrument or sang in public?

Do you prefer the beach or the mountains and why?

What does it take to make you angry?

Do you prefer cats, dogs, or neither?

What is your favourite music genre and why?

Did you have a nickname as a child and if so, what was it?

If you only had two minutes to get out of your house, what would you grab?

What is your favourite vegetable and how do you like it prepared?

What do you like to put on your toast?

What season is your favourite and why?

What is your favourite month and why?

Of all the books that you have read, what is your favourite and why?

How many different languages can you speak and what are they?

Do you have any tattoos and if so, where?

What is one thing (moral or practical) your grandparent taught you how to do that you still do today?

And here is an interview from last year that gives you an idea of what your post will look like...I will add in some surprises, such as videos as appropriate.. and illustrations if needed.

Thank you for joining me today and I am sure that many of you already are connected to children’s author Robbie Cheadle, who writes story and cookbooks in the Sir Chocolate series with her equally talented son Michael.. The exciting news is that Robbie will be publishing a new book later this year set in wartime Britain, While the Bombs Fell. We can also expect another new release as part of a YA supernatural/horror series under the name of Roberta Eaton. Exciting times ahead.

Before we get to know Robbie a little better, here is the official word on this talented author and poet.

Robbie Cheadle was born in London in the United Kingdom. Her father died when she was three months old and her mother immigrated to South Africa with her tiny baby girl. Robbie has lived in Johannesburg, George and Cape Town in South Africa and attended fourteen different schools. This gave her lots of opportunities to meet new people and learn lots of social skills as she was frequently “the new girl”.

Robbie is a qualified Chartered Accountant and specialises in corporate finance with a specific interest in listed entities and stock markets. Robbie has written a number of publications on listing equities and debt instruments in Africa and foreign direct investment into Africa.

Robbie is married to Terence Cheadle and they have two lovely boys, Gregory and Michael. Michael (aged 11) is the co-author of the Sir Chocolate series of books and attends school in Johannesburg. Gregory (aged 14) is an avid reader and assists Robbie and Michael with filming and editing their YouTube videos and editing their books

More about Robbie and Michael’s books a little later, now it is time to find out which of the questions Robbie has decided to respond to.

How would you describe your fashion sense?

I never really thought I had any fashion sense as I have a blatant disregard for fashion. My Mother, however, says that I do have a fashion sense, it just isn’t really like anyone else’s. She says it is quaint and quirky.

I am a chartered accountant by training. People have a perception of chartered accountants, especially the women, as having a very conservative way of dressing. Grey, black and navy suits are what come to mind, with formal shirts or blouses, nylons and high heeled court shoes.

I have never favoured these colours or suits of any description. I like to wear colourful and bright clothes in yellows, pinks, pale blues and oranges. During the summer I wear full skirts with frilly, tight fitting tops and flat ballet-style shoes. Alternatively, I wear short dresses with high heeled shoes and no nylons. I love cardigans and have at least 50 in my cupboard. I have a cardigan for every occasion.

Sally here: I found this lovely photo of Robbie on Facebook at a book show wearing a beautiful red dress.

During the winter I like to wear slim fit trousers in bright colours or which sport flowery patterns. I wear long shirts over these trousers with a jersey or cardigan, colourful scarf and often short boots.

Even my hair no longer behaves itself and has gone quite wavy over the past few years. I wear it quite long now and often loose and wavy with a clip to keep it out of my eyes. No short and sharp power haircuts for me.

What do you consider the best “cake” that you prepare – and have you the recipe?

The most popular cake I make is a moist and rich chocolate cake. It is best made in a deep tin. It is not ideal for fondant icing but, as it is my family’s favourite, I often use it, together with a lovely milk vanilla cake recipe, to make a marble cake which is suitable for fondant icing.

I made a short video of how to make the rich chocolate cake which gives the ingredients. I don’t like making videos, partly because my son, Gregory, never seems to have time to do the filming and editing now that he is in high school, and partly because I often do my baking early in the morning when he wouldn’t be around anyway and I am still in my pyjamas. I have never fancied marketing myself as a pyjama-clad baker.

Sally here: You can find a number of tutorial videos on Robbie’s Youtube channel but I have to admit that I was very engaged in her video on how to make my favourite…. Choc Chip Cookies.

What is your favourite childhood song and why?

When I was a young girl we did not have a television in our home. I had to entertain myself by reading books and listening to my Mom’s record collection on her old and battered record player. Before she gave birth to me, my Mom used to enjoy to go to the theatre in London as often as possible. She would buy the record of the Broadway production after the show. She had a huge collection of Broadway records. I loved these records. I used to listen to them over and over again and I learned all the words and would sing along. My younger sister, Cath, also joined me quite often and she also learned the words. Our favourites were Mame, Cabaret, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music.

When my family moved into our new house and my parents moved into the cottage on the same property, my Mom gave her records to me. I still keep them in the old trunk she brought with her from England when we first came out to South Africa when I was a little girl. I often pull them out and listen to them and sometimes the boys come and listen to.

Their favourite is The Warrior from the South African musical Ipi Ntombi.

What is something you look forward to when you retire?

I harbour a hope that when I retire, I will finally have the time to do all the things I want to do. At the moment, I work full time in a demanding job, help my boys with their homework, projects and studying and also write poetry and prose, bake and make my fondant figurines. As a result, I am always frantically busy and never seem to get everything done that I want too. I hope when I retire this will change a bit but it may not as I may just find new projects to take on.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I would love to live in England. I love the history and the literature that you find in England. I am not an outdoors person, preferring to spend my time doing fondant art, writing and reading to being outside. I try to squeeze in a bit of walking and pilates for health reasons but it is not a primary love.

I have travelled the UK a bit and my favourite areas are around Canterbury. I love the castles, Cathedral and other historical and religious points of interest. I feel quite familiar with this area now which is an added attraction.

I also enjoy Reading and the surrounding areas. I did enjoy Suffolk, and we have lots of family there, but I think if we moved we would need to be either close to London or Reading from a work perspective.

And I hope Robbie achieves her retirement dream and ends up living in the UK… and I thought that to end her interview I would share one of her music choices with this snippet from My Fair Lady.

Time to take a closer look at books by Robbie and Michael Cheadle

About Sir Chocolate and the Sugar Crystal Caves story and cookbook.

Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet get sugar water from the Sugar Crystal Caves to make delicious goodies for their shop. Unfortunately something is making the crystals melt. What can Sir Chocolate do? Includes four lovely new recipes.

One of the recent reviews for Sir Chocolate and the Sugar Crystal Caves.

This latest adventure of Sir Chocolate contains some of the most beautiful decorations in the series so far – the Chrystal Cave must have taken ages to construct and the other fondant figurines are lovely. The recipes are ideal for children as it shows them to make aeroplanes and wind mills with wafer biscuits. Sir Chocolate and Lade Sweet embark on another adventure to make sure that the sugar crystals won’t melt and they would still be able to make cool drinks for the inhabitants.

While WWII raged in England and the men left home and battled enemy forces, the bombs fell and the women and children left behind took care of the business of living. We rarely get the inside story of what it was like for the mothers and daughters; grandmothers and aunts and sisters, who had to find a way to get enough food on the table to survive, to stay warm during those cold winters with no fuel for the furnace or fireplace, to walk to the privy in cow dung and ice. Robbie Cheadle writes the story from her mom’s perspective, Elsie, when she was a child and lived through WWII.

The stories remind us how spoiled we are now with our lives, and how comparatively weak. Those in the English countryside during the war needed to be hearty and strong to survive. Yet, they also found ways to have fun and to stay strong within their circle of family and friends.A loving tribute to what it was like for those left behind, “while the bombs fell.”

Like this:

Related

About Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

My name is Sally Cronin and I am doing what I love.. Writing. Books, short stories, Haiku and blog posts. My previous jobs are only relevant in as much as they have gifted me with a wonderful filing cabinet of memories and experiences which are very useful when putting pen to paper. I move between non-fiction health books and posts and fairy stories, romance and humour. I love variety which is why I called my blog Smorgasbord Invitation and you will find a wide range of subjects. You can find the whole story here.
Find out more at https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/about-me/

Reblogged this on Mary Smith's Place and commented:
Sally Cronin is continuing her Sunday interview series offering writers a chance to answer questions designed to allow her readers a glimpse into the real you behind the books and blogs.

Reblogged this on The Write Stuff and commented:
Sally Cronin is running her popular Getting to Know You series of interviews. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to new readers and have a lot of fun at the same time. Check out this post to learn more! 🙂

I have been following Robbie’s blog for a while and I know about her wonderful cakes, but it’s always good to learn more about some of my favourite bloggers and writers. Thanks, Sally and good luck to Robbie!

Reblogged this on Stevie Turner and commented:
Thanks to Sally Cronin at Smorgasbord for her Sunday Interview slot – this time of Robbie Cheadle. Robbie, it would be great to meet up if you ever came to the UK!

This was a fun feature last year, Sally, and I’m glad your shared Robbie’s interview (I’m pretty sure I missed it). I never get tired of looking at her amazing cakes! And I hope retirement gives her a chance to follow ALL her dreams. That’s my plan too. Ha ha. Cheers to you and Robbie for a lovely new year. 🙂